My issue with Tariq’s discussion of Puerto Rico is he only speaks of the Spanish slavery, but doesn’t mention the brutality of American imperialism of Puerto Rico. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the Young Lords worked closely with the Black Panthers, and even to this day there are Puerto Rican activists who are involved in Black American struggles. When you ask what Puerto Rico has done for Black Americans, the answer is that Puerto Ricans have done a lot more than often gets recognized.

So my position is that as African descendants we can accomplish more by fighting together, rather than dismissing each other’s struggles as Tariq is apparently trying to do to Puerto Ricans. Tariq could have spent that time discussing what America is doing to Puerto Rico and how Black Americans and Puerto Ricans can continue to build together to support each other’s struggles, but I don’t really see anyone in the ADOS movement talking about organizing and building a united front among our people like that.